An assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, was selected for the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Liz Izhikevich received recognition on the 2025 list under the science category for her work on improving internet performance and security on Earth and in space, which has benefited Netflix’s video streaming and researchers’ approach to security threats on the internet, according to Forbes. Izhikevich said coverage of this award has allowed her to connect and gain traction with other industries and people outside academia.

“It’s the first time where it’s essentially broader society saying, ‘Wow, we see the impact of your work beyond academia and impacting people and technology that people are using every day,’” Izhikevich said.

Izhikevich obtained a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from UC San Diego before going on to receive a doctorate degree in computer science from Stanford University. While she said she has always liked computers and math, she added that she became interested in pursuing internet security and performance partly due to professors she admired and research opportunities she was involved in.

Izhikevich’s security and networking lab at UCLA researches satellite networks, a new technology largely led by Starlink, a company that uses these networks to deliver broadband internet for streaming, online gaming and video calls.

One of the lab’s main goals is trying to study and analyze a heavily monopolized ecosystem, Izhikevich said. One challenge, she added, is creating research to inspire competition but also support existing companies.

“There’s so many different research projects to do and classes to teach and collaborations to have, and it’s impossible for one person to do it all,” Izhikevich said. “I really rely on my students for their ideas, for the execution of the ideas, for their feedback, and they’re the ones that essentially provide the balance and also provide the success to the research in the lab.”

Ben Du, an incoming postdoctoral researcher for Izhikevich’s lab, said he attended UCSD alongside Izhikevich and looked up to her as one of the “star students” in the computer science department. He added that she has now become one of his role models in academia and has even helped him prepare to apply for faculty positions in the future.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity to work with Liz and to be her mentee and even collaborate on stuff together because we know she’s a brilliant researcher – that’s why she made it to the Forbes list,” Du said.

Du said that since Izhikevich’s lab is new, the award might help her acquire new graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and connection-based funding. He added that Izhikevich’s work on “hot topics” – like cybersecurity and satellite internet routing – gives more credit to UCLA’s academic rigor.

Manda Tran, a doctoral student in Izhikevich’s lab, worked in the lab for two years while completing her master’s degree and currently studies internet ecosystems and network performance. She said she joined the lab because she felt her and Izhikevich’s research interests aligned. Tran added that she knew she would feel supported by Izhikevich.

“It is inspiring to see her get recognition for the work that I’d seen her do,” Tran said. “It is a real example of how impactful the things that you work on during your graduate program can influence things in the industry.”

Izhikevich said that in the future, she is looking forward to helping make satellite networks more accessible for researchers and users and uncovering the security issues that disturb these networks.

“One of the strategies that I use with things is being open to new opportunities and taking them as they go and not rejecting opportunities too early on,” Izhikevich said. “Try an opportunity, try five at once, learn a bit about them and through there, make the kind of informed decision of what works for you and what doesn’t.”